VP, Principal Gifts & Philanthropy

VP, Principal Gifts & Philanthropy

Unity School of Christianity - Unity Village, MO 64065

Overview

Position Type Full Time

Description

Position Summary: The Vice President, Philanthropy serves as Unity World Headquarters' senior fundraising executive, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer. This position leads strategies to secure major, principal, planned giving, foundation, endowment, and campaign gifts that advance Unity's mission and long-term financial sustainability. Working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees, executive leadership, ministers, and key volunteers, the Vice President cultivates strategic donor relationships and personally manages a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects.

In partnership with the Chief Marketing Officer, this position ensures alignment between major and planned giving strategies and the organization's annual giving, donor communications, stewardship, and digital fundraising efforts. While Marketing and Communications lead broad-based fundraising initiatives, the Vice President focuses on identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding transformational philanthropic investments.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Strategic Philanthropy Leadership
   • Develop and execute a comprehensive, multi-year philanthropy strategy aligned with Unity's mission, strategic plan, financial priorities, and future opportunities.
   • Establish annual and long-range fundraising goals, performance measures, portfolio expectations, and reporting practices for major, principal, planned, foundation, endowment, and campaign giving.
   • Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on philanthropy, donor engagement, funding opportunities, campaign readiness, and emerging fundraising trends.
   • Promote a culture of philanthropy across Unity by helping leaders understand their role in donor engagement, stewardship, and mission-based relationship building.
2. Major, Principal & Planned Gifts
   • Personally manage a qualified portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
   • Develop individualized donor strategies and compelling gift opportunities that connect donor interests with Unity's mission and strategic priorities.
   • Lead the growth of planned and legacy giving, including bequests, charitable gift annuities, trusts, beneficiary designations, and other appropriate charitable gift arrangements.
   • Build and strengthen Unity's legacy society and maintain productive relationships with donors' financial, estate, tax, and legal advisors as appropriate.
   • Lead or support capital, endowment, special initiative, and comprehensive campaign planning and execution.
3. Collaboration with Marketing & Communications
   • Collaborate with the Chief Marketing Officer to align broad-based annual giving, mid-level giving, digital fundraising, donor acquisition, storytelling, and donor communications with the major and planned gift pipeline.
   • Clarify shared goals, handoffs, segmentation, data practices, and stewardship responsibilities between Philanthropy and Communications/Marketing.
   • Partner on case statements, donor impact stories, campaign messaging, proposals, presentations, events, and other materials supporting donor engagement.
   • Ensure donors experience consistent, mission-centered, and personalized communication across channels and giving levels.
4. Data, Technology & Performance Management
   • Use CRM data, wealth screening, prospect research, predictive analytics, and portfolio management practices to identify opportunities and guide activity.
   • Develop and maintain executive dashboards measuring pipeline value, donor movement, proposals, gift commitments, retention, planned gift intentions, campaign progress, and return on investment.
   • Ensure accurate, timely, secure, and confidential donor records, gift documentation, contact reports, prospect assignments, and reporting.
   • Evaluate and implement appropriate fundraising technologies and AI-enabled tools to improve insight, efficiency, personalization, and donor experience while maintaining privacy and ethical standards.
5. Team & Operational Leadership
   • Recruit, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing philanthropy team with clear expectations, measurable goals, and accountability for results.
   • Develop and manage the department budget, staffing plan, vendor relationships, professional services, and other resources.
   • Create effective policies, workflows, and service standards for gift acceptance, donor stewardship, prospect management, planned giving, recognition, and confidentiality.
   • Represent Unity professionally with donors, churches, ministers, foundations, professional advisors, community partners, and national audiences.
   • Maintain regular attendance and adhere to all organizational policies, procedures, safety guidelines, and timekeeping requirements.

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit fundraising, non-profit management, business, communications, marketing, public administration, or related field required. Advanced degree preferred.

Certificates & Licenses:

Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), or similar professional designation preferred. Valid driver's license and ability to travel required.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in philanthropy, advancement, development, or nonprofit fundraising, including significant executive or senior leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing six- and seven-figure major, principal, or planned gifts.
• Experience developing and executing multi-year fundraising strategies, major gift pipelines, planned giving programs, and donor stewardship plans.
• Experience partnering effectively with a CEO, governing board, executive team, and volunteers in donor cultivation and solicitation.
• Capital or comprehensive campaign leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing fundraising professionals.
• Experience with donor databases, wealth screening, prospect research, analytics, dashboards, and digital fundraising technology.
• Experience within a national, faith-based, educational, membership, or complex nonprofit organization preferred.

Computer Skills:

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365
• Demonstrated ability to use modern fundraising technology, including constituent relationship management systems, donor analytics and dashboards, wealth screening and prospect research tools, digital meeting platforms, online giving systems, and AI-enabled productivity tools.
• Experience with Raiser's Edge NXT, Salesforce, Virtuous, Bloomerang, or a comparable CRM preferred.

Other Requirements:

• Knowledge of New Thought and/or Unity teachings preferred.
• Must demonstrate discretion, sound ethical judgment, and the ability to maintain the confidentiality of donor, estate, financial, and organizational information.

Competency Statement(s):

• Demonstrates strategic vision, executive presence, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to ethical stewardship.
• Builds trusted relationships with donors, board members, ministers, executives, colleagues, and external partners.
• Uses data, financial insight, and donor intelligence to establish priorities and make informed decisions.
• Leads change, develops talent, creates accountability, and fosters collaboration across organizational boundaries.
• Communicates Unity's mission and impact with authenticity, sensitivity, and persuasive storytelling.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

Activity - Frequency

Inside Work - C

Outside Work - N/A

Use of Hands/Fingers - C

Lifting/Carrying: 25 Max lbs. - F

Climb- Stairs/Ladders - O

Reach (select): Overhead /Forward - N/A

Sitting/Workstation - F

Traveling - F

Exposure to Hazards - N/A

Excessive Noise - N/A

Exposure to Temperatures - N/A

Operate Computer - C

Talk/Communicate - C

Operate Company Vehicles - C

Taste/Smell - N/A

Standing/Walking - F

Stoop/Kneel/Crouch/Crawl - O

Read/See - C

Operating Company: Copier, Fax, Printer, Telephone System - C

Personal Protective Equipment: - N/A